Put away private items first

Before cleaning day, move medications, financial papers, personal documents, jewelry, cash, firearms, intimate items, and anything you would feel uncomfortable having someone work around.

This isn't about mistrust. It keeps the appointment comfortable and prevents accidental movement of important things. Cleaners are moving through bathrooms, bedrooms, counters, nightstands, and closets depending on the scope, so privacy prep is the first kind of prep that matters.

If you're short on time, use one bag, bin, drawer, or closet shelf as a temporary private zone. The goal isn't to organize those items perfectly. The goal is to make sure they aren't in the cleaning path.

  • Put away medications, IDs, mail, bank papers, passports, wallets, cash, jewelry, and keys.
  • Secure firearms, sharp tools, sensitive documents, and anything legally or financially important.
  • Move intimate items, medical devices, and personal products out of visible cleaning areas.

Make access boring

Share the door code, parking notes, alarm instructions, gate details, preferred entrance, and any rooms that are off-limits. If the cleaner has to spend ten minutes solving access, that's ten minutes not spent on the house.

Access also includes practical context inside the home. If a door sticks, a sink drains slowly, a toilet handle is touchy, a floorboard is loose, or a room should stay closed, say so before the visit.

If you have cameras inside the home, mention them. Clear expectations make the visit feel better for everyone.

Secure pets in a way that fits the pet

Some pets are relaxed. Some are escape artists, anxious barkers, counter surfers, or deeply suspicious of vacuums. Tell the cleaner what's normal and where each pet will be during the appointment.

Even friendly pets can change the rhythm of a clean. A cleaner may need to open doors, carry supplies, use loud equipment, or move between rooms quickly. A pet who wants to help can accidentally slow the visit or slip outside.

A closed bedroom, crate, yard plan, daycare day, or simple instruction can prevent a stressful cleaning visit.

Tidy KC does not clean up animal waste, even if an accident happens during the appointment. Team members are not allowed to handle human or pet biohazards, including urine, feces, vomit, blood, or anything that may carry bodily fluids. If that happens, the area will need to be handled by the homeowner before cleaning can continue safely.

  • Tell the cleaner each pet's name, temperament, and where they will be.
  • Share any escape risks, bite history, anxiety triggers, or rooms the pet should avoid.
  • Leave supplies such as gates, crates, leashes, litter tools, or cleanup bags where they are easy to find if needed.

Clear the surfaces that matter most

If you have five minutes, clear the bathroom vanity. If you have ten, clear kitchen counters and the dining table. If you have fifteen, get laundry and toys off the main floors.

Don't spend the night panic-cleaning. Just make the highest-priority surfaces reachable. The more reachable a surface is, the more cleaning can happen in the time you booked.

If surfaces can't be cleared, be specific about what can be moved and what should be left alone. A cleaner shouldn't have to guess whether a pile is trash, paperwork, sentimental items, or something waiting to be sorted.

Think about products and surfaces before the cleaner arrives

If your home has product preferences, allergies, fragrance sensitivities, septic concerns, natural stone, new floors, specialty appliances, or surfaces under warranty, mention those details before service.

A cleaner can work more confidently when they know what products to avoid and what surfaces need gentler care. This matters most in kitchens and bathrooms, where a strong product might be effective on one material and too harsh for another.

When in doubt, leave care instructions or ask before assuming a cleaner can safely use a certain product on a certain surface.

Leave a short note

A useful note says what matters most, what to skip, where supplies are if requested, what surfaces need special care, and whether anything is fragile or newly repaired.

The note should be short enough to use during the visit. Think priorities, not a novel. A cleaner should be able to read it quickly and make better choices because of it.

The best notes sound like: 'Please focus on bathrooms and kitchen first. Skip the office. The dog is in the basement. Please don't move the papers on the dining table.'

Helpful Tidy KC links

Residential cleaning service, Recurring cleaning service, One-time cleaning service, Booking and before-cleaning FAQs.

External resources

FTC consumer advice on hiring and avoiding home service scams (FTC), EPA Safer Choice product search (EPA).